Calm Before the Storm
by JM-Anakin-Solo
Summary: Anakin/Tahiri NJO Mush some Humor. Luke has decided to give the Jedi strike team a week long break before their mission.


Calm Before The Storm  
  
Anakin had to act quickly. Things had not been going well between him and Tahiri. It seemed as if everyone on Eclipse knew of his interest in Tahiri, except for his parents and the one person who needed to hear it the most, Tahiri. Anakin was fairly positive that Alema's kiss had not helped at all.  
  
A few nights ago, Alema had announced, to all of Eclipse -- including Tahiri -- that she and Anakin were to be wed. Anakin had been quite taken aback and he hadn't known what to do. Tahiri had been super pissed and she just walked out; Leia was out too – passed out.  
  
Han liked Alema even less than Tahiri had, if that was even possible. Han knew that while Alema and Anakin were the same age physically Alema had been around the block more than once.  
  
"Anakin, what are you thinking?" Han asked, already cutting into Anakin's characteristically rash decision.  
  
"Dad," Anakin replied "I'm not marrying Alema." Then he turned and addressed everyone else in the room, "And you all know it."  
  
Han was relieved.  
  
"Tahiri doesn't know it," Alema said, while smiling -- obviously pleased with all the trouble she had caused.  
  
Anakin turned to face Alema. "You knew I liked her didn't you?" he asked, just loud enough so only she heard. He took her silence as affirmation. "You-you…" was all he managed to shout before he walked out of the mess hall, leaving behind a very shocked audience.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey Luke," Han said as he entered the Jedi master's quarters, unannounced -- as usual.  
  
"Yes, Han," Luke replied, having sensed Han approaching seconds earlier.  
  
"Luke, these kids are gonna go crazy. They have been cooped up on this Jedi base for way too long," Han pointed out. "They need to be fully relaxed and well rested before they attempt this foolish mission."  
  
"It's not so foolish, Han," Luke countered, "In fact, it has a good chance of success." Han opened his mouth to protest, but Luke raised his hand and continued to speak, "But I agree, the strike team deserves a furlough to rest before they start the mission. For some, this will be their last chance to enjoy life. I could never deny them that chance."  
  
"I'm glad we agree," Han said, "at least on some parts." Then Han left to begin arranging for his family's trip.  
  
* * *  
  
Anakin was in his room, skulking. How did he ever get into this predicament? Tahiri had always been his best friend, but now he couldn't even talk to her.  
  
His thoughts flashed to Alema; suddenly he was filled with rage. It was her fault he was in this mess. He had to control his anger before it consumed him; he hadn't exactly stopped Alema from kissing him, even though he could have -- quite easily, in fact. But it had been even easier to let her have her way  
  
He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it even slightly. The truth was, he did enjoy it and that was why he hadn't stopped it. His heart was in immense pain because the only person he wanted to kiss had been Tahiri. He had screwed up and now he was afraid to talk to Tahiri, fearful of what she would throw at him.  
  
His door chirped and his happiness shot up, hoping it was Tahiri on the other side of the door. However, when it was Jaina that entered his previous gloomy demeanor returned.  
  
"Nice to see you too," Jaina said, having detected his obvious disappointment upon seeing it was her at his door.  
  
"Sorry," Anakin said, "I was hoping it was someone else."  
  
Jaina feigned being hurt, until she noticed Anakin hadn't realized she was only teasing him, so she smiled at him and he got the idea.  
  
"Hoping I was Tahiri?" she offered.  
  
"How'd you know," Anakin asked.  
  
"I'm your sister, that's how."  
  
"I guess."  
  
After a few minutes of awkward silence Jaina approached Anakin and sat next to him as she spoke, "Well, I've got some news that might cheer you up." She paused, and when she saw Anakin was listening, she continued, "Uncle Luke is giving us all a week off so we can relax before the big mission. Mom and Dad are already preparing the Falcon; they have some big trip planned."  
  
At first Anakin looked to be even sadder, then his eyes lit up and he jumped up and stood on his bed. "That's it. This will be great," he exclaimed. He thought to himself for a second before muttering something about the mess hall.  
  
Jaina looked very confused, but before she could ask what could possibly be so great about a week long vacation with their parents Anakin was already through the door, running down the hall, and about to turn the corner.  
  
"Well, I wonder what's gotten into him," Jaina asked aloud, speaking to no one but herself in the now empty room.  
  
* * *  
  
Tahiri had locked herself in her room and had refused to leave for the past few days. Nobody had dared to intrude, for fear of facing her wrath. She did, however, continue to eat regular meals.  
  
The younger Jedi would draw straws to decide who would bring Tahiri her food. The unfortunate child would go to the mess hall and put a little of everything on a tray for her. The Jedi student would tread lightly down the halls slowly making his or her way to Tahiri's room. They would set the tray down in front of her door, ready themselves for the run, and signal her door. As soon as they heard the chirp of the door they ran away as fast as they could in whatever direction was most convenient. The children who hadn't run fast enough and had remained in the hall when Tahiri retrieved her food quickly found themselves covered in pudding from the tray. The students had learned quickly and they no longer lingered in her hallway.  
  
Tahiri had spent most of the last few days crying with her face buried in her pillow, and today was no exception. If anyone had been walking the hallway outside her room they would have had no problem hearing her muffled sobs. Tahiri was not worried about anyone hearing her; the residents of Eclipse had stopped using her hallway a few days ago and had found alternate routes.  
  
She knew she had lost Anakin when she had seen Alema kissing him; but did they really have to announce their engagement? Tahiri had lost all respect for Anakin. He had used her. They had been hidden in a storage locker during a Yuuzhan Vong attack; in a moment of love they had kissed -- a deep, passionate kiss -- the first kiss for both. Anakin had just been using her, taking advantage of her fear.  
  
The door chirped, signaling the arrival of her dinner. She looked at her chronometer. It was six o'clock. Her dinner was right on time, so when she opened the door she was not surprised to find a tray of food waiting for her. She was, however, surprised to find a young man holding the tray.  
  
Just looking at Anakin -- standing there with his trademark lopsided grin and looking as handsome as ever -- was enough to make her start crying. Anakin walked in and set the tray on her desk. He went over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Remembering the days when they were young and nothing could get between their friendship, Tahiri buried her face in his shoulder and she cried harder.  
  
Then the childhood memories left and she was back in the painful present. She backed away from Anakin and retreated to her bed.  
  
"What do you want," Tahiri asked, obviously pained to be speaking to him.  
  
"We never got to talk, about umm us," Anakin said.  
  
"There is no us, Anakin," Tahiri said bluntly. She saw a tear roll down Anakin's face. She felt better now that she could return some of the pain he had caused her. She decided to cut into him some more, "Why don't you go talk to your fiancée?"  
  
"Fiancée," Anakin asked, sincerely surprised.  
  
"Don't play stupid, Anakin. Alema made it quite clear the other night."  
  
"Alema?!? You think I'm going to marry her?"  
  
Tahiri stopped crying and gazed at Anakin, suddenly a wave of anger rolled off of her, she was still mad but she said, "Anakin, you better explain yourself."  
  
"Tahiri, Alema is evil and sadistic and she only wants to hurt you. I would sooner eject her into space than marry her." Tahiri was looking much better. Anakin smiled, "If you ask me to I'll eject her into space."  
  
Tahiri smiled back, "Don't tempt me." Then the smile faded, "I saw you kiss her."  
  
"I know, I could have stopped it and I didn't, but I was thinking about you the whole time, I pretended it was you I was kissing." Anakin now had a tear from each eye, but he didn't care, Tahiri was crying softly too. "It's not the same as when I'm kissing you."  
  
Tahiri couldn't respond.  
  
"Tahiri," Anakin started to choke, "I'm not afraid anymore. I love you and I don't ever want to see you hurting again."  
  
"I love you too," Tahiri finally managed. Then she hung her head, not wanting Anakin to see her tears.  
  
Anakin was sitting right next to her on her bed. He looked down and saw her beautiful feet. She had donned socks in her depression -- she always kept her feet bare. Anakin reached out with his right hand and rubbed her feet, removing her socks in the process.  
  
"Your feet are too beautiful to be hidden," he explained when he sensed her confusion over what he was doing.  
  
When the socks were removed he took his right hand and reached for her chin. He grabbed her little chin and admired its perfection. It was soft and creamy in his hands. Gently, he raised her head so he could look into her beautiful eyes. She was relieved to see she wasn't the only one weeping.  
  
Their eyes met and instantly Tahiri knew she never needed to worry; Anakin could never look at another woman the way he was looking at her. They basked in each others' love and Anakin started to move in. Tahiri saw what was coming and she too began closing the gap, bringing the inevitable faster.  
  
When their lips finally met it was magical. Their kiss was pure and good; they breathed as one and became one in the Force. They were swept away, traveling the galaxy, but neither saw anything more beautiful or awe inspiring than the other. Eventually the kiss ended and they were back in Tahiri's room.  
  
They both just stared at one another, neither willing to speak, both enjoying the moment. Tahiri was the first to speak saying, "We really need some alone time." She smiled, "We have a lot of stuff to sort out."  
  
"That's actually why I came here. Master Luke is giving us a week's vacation to rest before the mission. My parents have a family trip planned, and since my fiancé is busy I thought I'd ask you, Tahiri."  
  
While Tahiri didn't find the joke funny she smiled just the same. "Maybe, I can make room in my schedule," she teased.  
  
"Great, I'll meet you on the Falcon first thing in the morning," he said as he rose to head for the door.  
  
"No," Tahiri yelled. "Please, don't leave yet. Stay with me until I fall asleep; if this is just a dream I want it to last as long as possible."  
  
"Sure," Anakin said flashing his lopsided grin. He knew it wasn't a dream but he didn't want to leave her either.  
  
He walked back to her bed and sat on the edge. She got up and went into her closet and changed into her pajamas. Anakin chuckled to himself when he saw them. They were satin and mostly blue but the pattern was of green light sabers, they were typical Tahiri and Anakin loved them.  
  
She stopped in front of him and stood, "Can you tuck me in," she asked.  
  
Anakin let his actions answer her question. He stood up pulling back the covers as he stood. She slipped into the bed and he pulled the covers over her. He made sure she was nice and snug then he got on top of the covers and lay beside her. He slid his left arm under her head.  
  
She moved closer and placed her left arm across his stomach. She felt safe as she lay in his arms. Today had been good to her, only two hours ago she had been mad enough to kill Anakin, and now here she was falling asleep in his arms. With Anakin rubbing her hair with his left hand and using the Force to soothe her it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.  
  
Anakin lay there for another ten minutes not wanting to leave. Eventually, he slid his left arm free and sat up. He bent over and kissed each of her eyelids, wishing her to sleep well. He looked at his chronometer and was surprised to see it was midnight already. He could hardly believe he had been in her room for six hours. He reached her door and opened it. He glanced back one last time then he stepped through to the other side, closing the door behind him.  
  
He was happy as he made his way to his room and he began to whistle.  
  
* * *  
  
Jacen opened his eyes to the eerie music he heard reverberating through the ventilation system. It was random and improvised, but beautiful at the same time. The music carried well, surprisingly well, until Jacen realized the Force was helping it along. Jacen opened himself to the Force and stretched out his senses, trying to find the source of this music, even though he already had his suspicions.  
  
Jacen found the source of the music. Whoever it was they were glowing brightly in the Force, holding back none of their emotions. Happiness and joy was escaping this person like a super nova and it was comforting to Jacen. The source of the music was coming closer and the music more defined, becoming obvious that it was whistling.  
  
Jacen was shocked, how could he have not realized that this was Anakin? He was feeling Anakin through the Force but it still did not feel like Anakin, the emotions flowing from Anakin were immense and they were overshadowing his normal presence. Jacen picked up an undershirt, from off the floor and hastily put it on, not caring whether it was clean or not. He got out of bed and made for the door, Anakin was very close now – about to pass Jacen's door.  
  
As Jacen's door opened he peered his head out and asked, "Hey, Anakin what are you so --," then he stopped. The look on Anakin's face told all; but he would have known without seeing Anakin's face, Anakin was obviously thinking about what had just happened and with his emotions on the surface, as they were, he was projecting his thoughts to anyone with even the slightest Force sensitivity. Jacen hid his face and blushed for his brother, and then he stepped into the hall stopping Anakin in his tracks.  
  
Anakin looked up at him and stopped whistling, a huge grin growing to cover half his face, and patiently waited for his older brother to explain the delay. "Anakin, maybe you should pull your emotions in a little closer," Jacen finally managed, speaking through a smile. "I hope that holovid you are broadcasting through the Force doesn't take a turn in the wrong direction, but you might want to stop letting everyone see your escapades for tonight."  
  
Anakin paled.  
  
"Don't worry, it doesn't bother me," Jacen chuckled. "But I thought I would let you know what was happening, before you got close enough for Mom to read your thoughts."  
  
"Thanks for the heads up," Anakin replied, the color quickly returning to his cheeks.  
  
Jacen smiled and went back into his room closing the door behind him. He could feel Anakin continuing on his way to his own room and he let out a soft chuckle, "Anakin, oh Anakin, shame on you."  
  
Jacen took off his shirt and got back into bed. He pulled up the covers and was about to fall asleep when he heard the eerie whistling start up again, this time Anakin kept his emotions, and thoughts, in check. Jacen smiled from ear to ear and quickly fell asleep.  
  
* * *  
  
"Jacen, will you bring up the last of the suitcases and put them in the storage compartments," Han was saying from inside the Falcon. Han was walking towards the ramp - to check the hull of the Falcon to make sure she was still space worthy – when he said, "Where is Anakin? That boy was supposed to be here —." He stopped short when he stepped off the ramp and the docking bay doors opened and Anakin entered, Tahiri not far behind.  
  
"There you are, load your bags onto the Falcon, we're leaving in ten minutes," Han told Anakin. Then he turned to Tahiri and smiled, "I'm glad to see you are feeling better. Come to see Anakin off?"  
  
Tahiri just gave a confused look in response and turned to look at Anakin.  
  
"No, Dad. Tahiri is coming with us," Anakin announced. "I know it was supposed to be a family thing but, you know she doesn't really have a family, so I thought she could come with us."  
  
"Well, I dunno…" Han started.  
  
Jacen had disembarked from the Falcon and was standing next to his father. When he saw Han was trying to say no, Jacen gently elbowed him in the side. His father let out an oommpff, but before Han could say anything, Jacen spoke, "Of course she can come, why not?"  
  
"Sure, why not," Han said obviously catching the hint from Jacen, and rubbing his side. "Anakin you know where the bags go, you can get her situated on board."  
  
After Anakin and Tahiri were on board and out of earshot, Han turned and glowered at Jacen. "What was that about," he demanded.  
  
Jacen had a huge grin on his face but all he said was, "I think it is good that Anakin is bringing a friend along, should keep him out of trouble." Then he chuckled. Han wasn't sure what was going on but he was sure he didn't like it. "Anyway, she really has no family to visit and Anakin is her best friend, you have to take her."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Han said as he massaged his side, "but did you have to elbow me so hard?"  
  
"Sorry, old man," Jacen teased.  
  
"Old man, huh? Well, I'm still Captain of this ship so get back to work and finish loading the Falcon."  
  
* * *  
  
The Falcon had been in hyperspace for nearly three hours and Han hadn't seen Tahiri or Anakin since they had broken orbit. He trusted his son, but he also remembered how he was at Anakin's age – and Anakin had proven himself to be very much like Han. They were probably in the back watching a holovid or play a dejerak game; but he thought he better check on them, just in case. He stood up from the captain's chair and started to make for the cockpit exit.  
  
"Where are you going," Jaina asked quickly, a little too quickly.  
  
"To check on Anakin and Tahiri, I haven't seen either of them since we left orbit," Han replied.  
  
"Oh why bother yourself with such trivial things. You stay here and keep an eye on things. I'll find Anakin and Tahiri and see what they are up to. They are probably playing dejerak or something"  
  
Before Han could offer a protest she had already undone her seat restraints and was heading aft. Han turned to Leia and asked, "When did our children start bossing us around; and when did we start listening?"  
  
Leia was busy double-checking the navicomputer's course and she did not even look up as she answered, "Years ago, Han, years ago."  
  
Han gave a sigh of defeat and walked back to his captain's chair and sat down, reviewing the data displayed before him.  
  
* * *  
  
Jaina made her way to the aft hold, by the escape pods. She knew this was where she would find Anakin and Tahiri, not in the mess hall playing dejerak as she had told her father they would likely be. Jacen had told her Anakin and Tahiri seemed to have worked things out, but she wasn't so sure. Tahiri had been really hurt by Anakin, and she doubted that they could have sorted through all the problems in one night.  
  
As she drew near the aft hold she could sense them up ahead, she had dulled her Force senses, not wanting to intrude, and she dulled them some more. She reached the door to the aft hold and paused for a second, trying not to think of what she might find behind this door. She depressed the button to open the door and held her breath, but when the door opened there was no one there.  
  
"What?!?" She was quite surprised to find an empty room; then she saw the escape pods. "They wouldn't," she gasped. She walked over to the nearest one and peered through the small porthole, "and, then again, maybe they would." Her hand covered her mouth, but she didn't look away, her brother was kissing his best friend it was pure and beautiful. Her eyes began watering with realization; her little brother was in love. Then she batted away the tears; she would have some fun with this.  
  
Never breaking her gaze she reached out with her right hand and began the ignition sequence for the escape pod. That got their attention and they both stopped making out as they frantically searched for the deactivation switch. When she saw they were thoroughly frightened she canceled the sequence and opened the pod door.  
  
"Hi, Anakin, Tahiri," she said, "I see you two have made out, I mean, up, made up."  
  
"Jaina, that was mean," Anakin said ignoring her previous statement. "You scared us near to death."  
  
"You should be thankful I stopped Dad from coming back here to check on you, I doubt he would have stopped the ignition sequence."  
  
"Well, then we both thank you," Anakin said after glancing quickly at Tahiri. "So how much did you see," he asked with squinted eyes and teeth gritted together.  
  
"Enough," Jaina said, "more than enough actually."  
  
"Sorry," Tahiri said, genuinely apologetic. "It's just…"  
  
"I know," Jaina smiled, "I know." She just stayed there staring at them for a few seconds before she continued, "In any case, you two should go check in with Dad, he was getting suspicious."  
  
Tahiri stepped out of the escape pod with Anakin trailing only a few feet behind. Jaina suggested, "Maybe you should head up to the cockpit first Tahiri and then Anakin can come a few seconds behind you. Oh, and if anybody asks you two were playing dejerak, ok?"  
  
"Ok," Tahiri replied. She walked over to the door and turned to smile at Anakin before she left. Anakin returned her smile and she started for the cockpit.  
  
"Wow," Jaina said when she knew Tahiri was out of hearing range, "I had no idea you and Tahiri, were so, ummm, friendly."  
  
"Yeah, me neither," Anakin said absentmindedly.  
  
"When did you two make up," Jaina asked, sincerely curious.  
  
"Last night, after you told me we were going on a trip I went to her room and we talked for a couple hours," Anakin said, his head still in the clouds.  
  
"Talked hmm?" Jaina asked suspiciously. "Well that would explain the whistling I heard last night."  
  
Anakin's face turned a deep red as he blushed, "Yeah, I guess so."  
  
"Well, you better go up there and talk to Dad, remember dejerak." Anakin turned and left the room, taking the awkwardness with him. Jaina's grin stretched from ear to ear. Even in this time of war and death there was still hope for the future.  
  
* * *  
  
Jacen could feel Jaina approaching him in his room. He decided to surprise her by opening the door before she signaled it, but she was no longer surprised by such things. They were twins, and ever since their birth they had always shared a deep connection, always knowing what the other was thinking or doing. Instead of being surprised, she just walked right in when the door opened and closed it behind her.  
  
"Jacen, Anakin and Tahiri, did you…" she started but she could sense that he knew, before he nodded.  
  
"Yes," Jacen, unnecessarily, confirmed.  
  
"Did you walk in on them too," she asked.  
  
Jacen obviously hadn't expected this and he nearly choked on the honeycrust he was eating. "Walk in on them? No, why," he asked. Then he looked concerned, "Did you?"  
  
"Yeah, just now," Jaina replied. "Dad was wondering where they had been since we left orbit and he was about to go searching for them. I volunteered, quite luckily for them. I found them crammed into an escape pod."  
  
"No way," was all Jacen could manage. "I never saw them, just saw Anakin imagining it. Where are they now?"  
  
"With Mom and Dad," she answered.  
  
"You didn't tell Mom or Dad, did you?"  
  
"Of course not, slag-for-brains; Mom and Dad think they were playing dejerak," she told Jacen.  
  
Jacen laughed, "I wonder how long that excuse will work. Maybe we should keep them busy for the rest of this flight; we still have another nine hours of hyperspace jumps. It would be a shame if Mom or, even worse, Dad had to catch them."  
  
"Yeah, definitely; I think we can control them and their hormones for a few hours."  
  
* * *  
  
Han was becoming quite suspicious. When Tahiri and Anakin had come to see him it seemed a little staged to him. They had entered separately but that meant nothing. Both of their stories were the same, but something in the back of his head told him something was wrong. Han had sensed there was something between them, he wasn't sure how deep their mutual interest was, but he was sure something was going on. When Han had asked about the escape pod ignition he had detected they had hesitated a little too long in their answer. They said Jaina had told them she was going to test the ignition sequences to make sure they were all working. Han had accepted this excuse and let them go on their way, even though he knew none of the other escape pods had been 'tested'. Yes, something was definitely going on and he was going to find out what it was.  
  
"Han, leave them alone. If there is something going on between them they will let you know," Leia told him, not really believing her own advice. She also felt something fishy was going on, but having Han snoop around would not help the situation. In fact, Anakin would probably end up feeling even more alienated.  
  
"You might be right, Princess," his tone signaling he didn't even remotely believe her and he would do no such thing. Han was determined to get to the bottom of this.  
  
* * *  
  
Anakin led Tahiri down the hall to his personal quarters on the Falcon. They were almost running at full gait. They had finally managed to elude Jacen and Jaina and they had no time to spare. Something strange was happening. Every time they tried to get some alone time Jacen, Jaina, or both had come in to interrupt them and they had been forced to play stupid games or sit and chat.  
  
When they reached the door Anakin pressed the pad and entered, directing Tahiri to the middle of his room. He turned and closed the door, making certain to lock it. He finally looked at the room and blushed at its state of disrepair. "Sorry, about the mess," he apologized to Tahiri.  
  
She just chuckled and said, "I think it's cute, I like this side of the Anakin Solo." She walked over to him running her finger across his broad shoulders then gave him a quick peck on the check. "Ok, enough admiring it. You can clean it up now," she said as she sat in the large chair at his desk waiting for him to clean his room.  
  
Anakin shot her a look suggesting that she might want to help. She just shook her head and said, "Your mind tricks will not work on me, Jedi."  
  
"Ok, ok I'll clean it myself," he said as he picked a shirt up off the floor and threw it into the hamper. Within a few minutes the room was looking nice and he was just finishing up the bed when he saw Tahiri rise. "You don't have to inspect, Tahiri. It's clean."  
  
"Hmmm, so you say, but I just found a section over here that had some light dust," she said. Anakin's look was priceless; it was one of those, you've- got-to-be-kidding looks. She kept a serious face for as long as she could, then she started laughing. "Anakin, you should see your face."  
  
Anakin lightened up and smiled at her. "You ready to watch a holovid," he asked. When she nodded her readiness he turned on his holoprojector and began to search for an appropriate title. "Hmm, In Love and Galactic War," he asked.  
  
"Been there, done that," she replied. Anakin also wasn't too interested, the love part he could handle, but he'd had enough galactic war to last him a lifetime.  
  
"What about, 50 Things I Hate About You," he asked.  
  
"Oh, that's a good one, let's watch that"  
  
"Ok," Anakin said. He started the holovid and directed Tahiri to his bed. He walked over to the room controls by the door and dimmed the lights, quickly joining Tahiri on his bed. He put his right arm around her and pulled her close.  
  
They were sitting up and watching the holo when Tahiri said she was cold, so Anakin, being the gentleman he was, got up to get a blanket for her. When he had covered her up and joined her under the blanket she smiled, "I could stay this way forever, Anakin." Anakin was hopeful that now might be a good time to start sorting through some issues they still had. Then his door chirped, begging to be open. He just ignored it.  
  
Then it chirped again, "Go away," he exclaimed. The door chirped a third time and Anakin turned to Tahiri and said, "This'll only take a second."  
  
He walked to the holo projector and paused the holovid; then he went to answer the door. He opened it up and, not surprised in the least to see Jacen and Jaina standing there, said, "I told you to go away."  
  
"Oh, don't be silly," Jaina said. "What fun could you two possibly be having all alone."  
  
"I wouldn't know," Anakin said; more then slightly perturbed at the continuous interruptions his sister and brother were providing. "Maybe if you two leave I can find out and report back to you when we land," he added sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, don't worry we wouldn't want to put you through the hassle of writing a report," Jacen said. "We can have fun together. Jaina and I brought board games," he exclaimed.  
  
Anakin was giving Jacen a pleading look, but Jacen ignored it; this was for Anakin's own good, if their mother or father walked in on Anakin and Tahiri, Jacen didn't even want to think about the hell storm that would follow.  
  
"Actually we were watching a holovid," Tahiri said, speaking from Anakin's bed, definitely not something their parents would be accepting of.  
  
"Oh, Jacen," Jaina said, "Let's watch with them. I'm sure it will be a good movie."  
  
"Good idea," Jacen said, handing the board games to Anakin as they hopped on his bed beside Tahiri, leaving no room for Anakin to sit next to her.  
  
"Fine," Anakin said tersely, as he slammed his hand on the door release. He set the games on his desk and found a spot on his bed next to Jacen. All he wanted was to enjoy a few moments alone with Tahiri, he had been hoping they could talk during the movie, but now any hopes he had for a deep talk were shot out of the sky by the incessant interruptions of his sister and brother. He decided to sit back and try to enjoy the movie, but with the mood ruined and his hopes destroyed and all he could do was think of different ways he could lure his brother and sister into an escape pod that he could close behind them and jettison into space.  
  
* * *  
  
"Nine hours," Anakin said to Tahiri when they had entered orbit around their target planet. "Nine hours of Jacen and Jaina's nonstop interruptions."  
  
"I know," Tahiri said, "I thought it would never end." Then Tahiri smiled at him, "This ship had limited hiding space, once we land we should be able to escape them with minimal trouble."  
  
Anakin tried to imitate her smile but failed miserably, looking more concerned than he intended. "I hope so," was all he replied. "Well we might as well head up to the cockpit and watch the descent."  
  
"Ok, Jacen and Jaina will probably be here any minute to force us to go anyway," she said.  
  
They both began laughing as they saw Jacen and Jaina approaching. Jaina looked confused, but Jacen just ignored the laughter saying, "Why don't you come join us in the cockpit, we are preparing to land."  
  
Jacen turned and led the way to the cockpit with Jaina right beside him. Anakin and Tahiri turned to face each other and chuckled. Now Jacen was the one with the confused look, he wondered if it was something he had said.  
  
* * *  
  
"Wow, the elusive Anakin and Tahiri," Han teased, "Quick, someone, take a holo before they go back into hiding."  
  
Anakin's anger grew with the comment from his father, but Tahiri had hardly noticed it.  
  
The rest of the landing was rather uneventful. The atmosphere had been calm and Han had smoothly taken the Falcon down, with only a slight thump as he turned up the repulsorlift and the Falcon settled down.  
  
* * *  
  
Leia had taken Tahiri and Jaina to set up their rooms, leaving the men to unpack. When Han left with a load of suitcases to be taken to the room Anakin decided to confront Jacen.  
  
"Jacen, what the hell was that," he asked rudely.  
  
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Jacen lied.  
  
"On the ship, you and Jaina wouldn't let me and Tahiri have one moment alone. I didn't expect you to stand in our way, not after last night."  
  
Jacen smiled, "You're welcome."  
  
Anakin looked dumbfounded, "What would I possibly thank you for."  
  
"Not just me, Jaina too," Jacen said.  
  
Anakin was not enjoying Jacen's skirting the Core and he said as much, "quit playing around, what's your point?"  
  
"My point is that we saved your chances with Tahiri." Anakin looked confused, so Jacen elaborated, "After your little escape pod stunt we knew we had to keep you too from pulling something similar."  
  
Anakin blushed, "Well…"  
  
"Well," Jacen continued, "It was bad enough that Jaina had to walk in on you two. Can you imagine if Mom or Dad had found you two?" He waited for Anakin to consider the situation. "Dad is already very suspicious of you two and he is determined to find out what is going on. Mom has her suspicions but she would never voice them around Dad; that would be all the evidence he would need to separate you two for the rest of the vacation."  
  
"Thank you," Anakin said, realizing how helpful is brother and sister had been.  
  
"Like I said, you're welcome. Now grab some of this heavy stuff and let's bring it to the house."  
  
"House," Anakin asked.  
  
"Yes, we have a nice big house to stay in, right on the beach."  
  
"There's a beach," Anakin asked again, completely surprised.  
  
"Yeah, didn't you pay attention when we were descending? It's huge, it filled the whole view port," Jacen said.  
  
"Yeah, I was paying attention to the view, but not the one through the view port," Anakin said with a sly grin on his face.  
  
"You need help," Jacen said as he smiled and started to laugh.  
  
"I think you're right, and I know just who to get it from."  
  
* * *  
  
After the Falcon was unloaded Anakin and Tahiri finally had some time to themselves. Jacen and Jaina had promised to not intrude on them for the rest of the week, and Tahiri had thanked Jacen and Jaina, as well, when she learned why they had been so intrusive.  
  
Anakin and Tahiri only had an hour before they were expected to show up for dinner, and they didn't plan on wasting any of that most precious time. Anakin was staring at her, admiring her beauty. Her perfect eyes and pouting lips beckoned to him, but he resisted the urge. Tahiri was admiring his wild hair that refused to be tamed and the lopsided smile he had inherited from his father.  
  
"What are you thinking," she finally asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"How beautiful you are, and how lucky I am," he answered without hesitation.  
  
"Good answer," she said with a smile on her face.  
  
"What are you thinking," he asked of her.  
  
"How handsome you are, and how lucky I am," she replied.  
  
"I knew that," he flashed his grin, with an air of cockiness. "I just wanted to hear you say it." Then he started rubbing his right arm, trying to sooth the pain from the punch his cockiness had earned him.  
  
Anakin's gaze wandered over to the scars on her forehead. Too him they didn't matter, she was still the same old Tahiri. But others did not always feel the same way. People who did not know here often viewed her as some kind of freak.  
  
He knew she was self-conscious of her scars and had suggested that she might remove them. She had adamantly declined the offer, saying it was a part of her now. Anakin was staring at the scars now. He didn't loathe them. In fact, he thought the scars were very defining of who Tahiri had become.  
  
"I knew it was too good to be true. You are just like everyone else, you cannot accept the Yuuzhan Vong that is in me," she said through tears.  
  
"No, Tahiri. It's not like that…" he tried to explain himself but failed.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Tahiri said as she stopped her crying and wiped away her tears. "It's time for dinner. If we don't leave now we'll be late. I would hate for your father to send out a search party to find us."  
  
"Are you sure you're ok? If you aren't we can stay here and talk for a little while longer," Anakin offered.  
  
"No, really, I'm quite all right. In fact, I'm famished," she said, already beginning to look like her usual self. Something still seemed off to Anakin, but he kept it to himself.  
  
* * *  
  
Anakin and Tahiri where the last to arrive for dinner and the only seats left would have them sitting across from each other. They had hoped to be sitting right next to each other but at least they were still close. The dinner consisted of charbroiled nerf with green beans. To drink Han and Leia each had a glass of some expensive Coruscant wine and the rest seated at the table had nerf milk.  
  
Han, being as suspicious as he was, kept his eyes open trying to catch any clues that might escape. He had intentionally planned to sit Anakin and Tahiri across from each other, wanting to see anything that went between them. So far, nothing interesting had happened.  
  
Leia, on the other hand, collected quite a bit of information. She studied her son and sensed uneasiness in him and she could tell his stomach was upset. Then she reached out to Tahiri and felt the same uneasiness in her stomach. Her first thought was that the nerf milk had gone bad, but she dismissed the idea when she sensed that Jacen and Jaina were fine, and they had been drinking the same milk.  
  
Leia ran other possibilities through her head, none seeming to fit. She noticed Anakin constantly glancing at Tahiri, and Tahiri glancing at him. When their gazes finally met, Leia had no doubt she had uncovered what was troubling her youngest son, he was in love. She had known that Tahiri and Anakin were close friends and she had always thought that they might date one day, but this was more, this was love. She was sad and happy at the same time and she let a tear roll down her cheek.  
  
"Mom is something wrong," Anakin asked, upon seeing her tear. He was always concerned for his mother.  
  
"No, Anakin, nothing's wrong. I just got a grain of sand in my eye." Her story was believable as they were eating outside and there was a slight breeze accompanying the approaching dusk. She knew that Han was oblivious to the signs she had detected because she wouldn't have noticed them without the Force and she just smiled at him. He returned her look quizzically and she took pleasure in being the first to know.  
  
Tahiri opened her mouth to ask a question, but what came out instead was a string of the Yuuzhan Vong language. Everyone stopped what they were doing and they stared at her. "Did I say something wrong," she asked, completely unaware she had just spoken in the other language. Sometimes she had relapses and she would speak in their language without consciously intending to.  
  
Anakin was the one to answer her question, "Yes, actually, you just said something really long in the Vong language."  
  
"Yuuzhan Vong," she corrected without thinking.  
  
By this time Anakin was just staring at her, as was everyone else and she suddenly felt self-conscious. "Don't stare at me like that," she commanded Anakin.  
  
"Like what," he asked.  
  
Anakin was truly concerned but Tahiri couldn't see it. All she saw was a look of disgust and she yelled, "Don't look at me like I'm a freak. I'm not a freak Anakin." Then she stood and began yelling and crying, "Anakin stop it, stop looking at me. How could you be so mean? I'm not a freak, stop telling me I am." Then she ran from the table and made for her room.  
  
"I never said you were a freak," he said as he stood up but she was already in the hall running away.  
  
Anakin excused himself from the table and went to his own room.  
  
"Well that went quite well," Han said then he caught Leia's elbow in the side. "You guys need to stop doing that," he said as he glanced from Leia to his son, Jacen, across the room. Leia got up and she also left the table. Jacen and Jaina only remained a moment longer before they too left.  
  
"Something fishy indeed," Han said to himself.  
  
* * *  
  
So this was it. Anakin was back to skulking in his room. The scenery had changed but the plot remained the same. He and Tahiri made progress then he screwed things up and she suffered while he skulked. He felt really bad. He loved Tahiri, but he always managed to mess things up. Her self- conscious nature didn't help things either, but she had been through Hell and he couldn't blame her, many people did think she was a freak, but not Anakin. He could never see her as a freak, but she always mistook his surprised looks as being looks of disgust.  
  
The door chirped. "Come in," he said, despite the fact that he had no desire to speak with anyone. When it was his mother that entered he was quite surprised. He had been expecting Jacen of Jaina to come talk to him.  
  
"Mom, what have I done? Tahiri is my best friend but I always screw up," he told his mother.  
  
"Best friend," Leia asked, hinting at something, but it was lost on Anakin.  
  
"Yes, my best friend in the universe."  
  
"Anakin, I know," Leia said, the tear from earlier at dinner showing itself again.  
  
"Know what, Mom?"  
  
"You love Tahiri."  
  
"How do you know, did Jacen or Jaina…" he started.  
  
"No, of course not, it is written all over your face. I saw the way you were looking at her over dinner," Leia said.  
  
"Well, once again, I've screwed up everything," Anakin said. "It's a vicious circle, perpetuated by me and my clumsiness."  
  
"Anakin, go talk to her, if you love her you will find a way to make it work," Leia advised, "and quit blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong."  
  
Anakin let what his mother had said soak in, and then he said, "I'm not even sure she feels the same way about me anymore."  
  
"You can rest assured that she loves you as much as you love her, maybe more," Leia announced to him.  
  
Anakin brightened, "Are you sure," he asked.  
  
"Yes," she said, "I am positive. Now get out of here and go get her."  
  
Anakin got up and headed for his door. He kissed his mother and thanked her before leaving to find Tahiri.  
  
* * *  
  
Anakin was feeling better now, he had known that Tahiri was interested in him – she had kissed him after all – but he wasn't sure she felt as strongly about him as he felt about her. Leia had told him that Tahiri was very much in love with him and that was all the confirmation Anakin needed.  
  
When she had begun speaking in the invader's language he had been concerned. Tahiri had mistaken his look of concern for her as disgust, but he was worried about her, not himself. He was worried that she was still not all right and he was sad that she still suffered from her time in captivity. He felt responsible, because she never would have been captured if it weren't for him, and he also blamed himself for not reaching her sooner.  
  
When he reached her room he opened the door and found her room empty. His concern grew. Where had she gone? He stretched out his senses, but she wasn't anywhere in the house.  
  
He ran out the front door of the house onto the porch and he scanned the beach, then he found her. She was walking alone down the beach, only a couple hundred meters away. He broke out into a run and used the Force to help speed him along. She heard him coming when he was twenty meters away and she stopped to wait for him. He slowed his run as he got closer and when he stopped he bent over and rested on his knees. He refreshed himself in the Force and stood up so he could see her. The sound of the waves crashing to his right was loud, but peaceful at the same time.  
  
"Tahiri, I want you to know something," Anakin started.  
  
"Yes, Anakin, I know," Tahiri said. "I'm still very aware of my captivity. Most people stare at me and they don't say it but I can hear them thinking I am a freak."  
  
"Tahiri, you are not a freak. If anyone thinks so I want you to give me his name and I will make sure there is not a doubt in his mind that you are still the old Tahiri. I love you more than anything in the Universe and I want to help you get through this."  
  
"Oh, Anakin," she cried, "There isn't anyone else I would want to help me through this."  
  
Tahiri hung her head and looked at the ground as Anakin kissed the top of her head and hugged her close.  
  
"Anakin, you're barefoot," she said happily surprised as she pushed away from him to look into his eyes. She had seen him barefoot before but she never got over seeing the always serious Anakin walking barefoot.  
  
"Yeah, I know. I thought, since you like it so much, I could give it a try," Anakin said as he flashed his best lopsided grin.  
  
"Oh, your foot's bleeding," she announced with pain in her voice.  
  
"I guess it is," he said. "I hadn't noticed it," he lied. He had stepped on a piece of glass and he had run through a thorn bush in his rush to get to her and it hurt quite badly. He had used the Force to dull the pain while he was running but he had stopped when he reached her, hoping she would not notice.  
  
"You're lying, Anakin," she said. "It's me you can't keep anything from me," she added with a smile. "I see I need to teach you on the finer art of walking barefoot," she said jokingly. "Now, come closer to the water and I'll take care of your foot."  
  
"Really, its okay," he said, but he could see that fighting her would get him nowhere so he let her lead him to the water.  
  
"This will hurt a little," she said. She wasn't kidding. The salt water entered his wounds and stung like there was no tomorrow. She heard him stifle a scream and her heart panged for him. Anakin could have called on the Force at any time to remove all pain, but he didn't. He trusted the Tahiri would not harm him and that the pain would only be temporary.  
  
After the wound was washed out she led him back up onto the beach and laid him down. When he tried to sit up she forcibly pushed him back down. "I'm not done yet," she said. She went over to the injured foot, his right foot, and examined it. She found the piece of glass. It was embedded quite a bit and it would hurt to remove. She used the Force to numb the area of his foot and in one quick motion she ripped it from his foot. Anakin had felt a little of the pain and he cringed but made no noise.  
  
Tahiri went down to the water again and returned with a handful of water. Anakin was sitting up again. "Lay back down," she ordered. "I'm not finished yet." When he had lain back down she used the water in her hands to finish cleaning his foot. She took her right index finger and probed his wound. She had no fear of disease or infection, this was Anakin, if he had some hidden disease she was not afraid of it. When she found his wound clean and free of dirt and glass she ripped off the bottom part of his pant leg and used it to tie up his foot. "Good as new," she proclaimed.  
  
"Thank you," Anakin replied sincerely, "It feels much better."  
  
* * *  
  
"Han, let's go for a walk," Leia told Han, hoping to get his mind off his snooping.  
  
"Leia, something is going on around her and I want to figure out what it is," Han said, ignoring Leia's statement.  
  
"Ok," she said, "but you can continue your search for knowledge after we go for a walk." Leia was trying to give Anakin some time alone with Tahiri. She knew Han would understand once he found out; but she didn't want him snooping around right now. She feared he would walk in on Tahiri and Anakin talking and then ruin Anakin's chance to smooth things over.  
  
Leia led Han to the beach, the sun was setting and she couldn't think of anything more romantic to be doing with the man she loved, than walking on the beach and watching the sunset. The colors were beautiful and Han's best features were accented.  
  
Han looked at Leia and wondered aloud, "How did I ever get you?"  
  
"I don't know," she said, "I just don't know."  
  
"Hey, princess, that's not funny," Han countered. He was thinking how beautiful everything was and he almost tripped over Leia as she stopped short.  
  
"Hey what was that about," Han asked.  
  
"Shh! Let's walk the other way," Leia said.  
  
"Why," Han asked. Then he saw Anakin and Tahiri up ahead on the beach talking. Tahiri was cleaning his foot and wrapping it up. "Leia, Anakin's hurt we have to go help him. You go back to the house and set up bacta patches by his bed. I'll go over there and carry him back," Han said springing into action.  
  
Leia grabbed his arm and kept him where he was. "Anakin, is fine," she said, "Come on let's go down the beach in the other direction."  
  
"What do you mean he's fine? I can see the blood from here."  
  
"Tahiri's already taken care of him. Trust me Han he's fine," Leia said.  
  
Han saw Tahiri helping Anakin to his feet and they continued walking down the beach, oblivious to the fact that Han and Leia were close by. Han was about to protest when he saw Anakin's right hand slip around Tahiri's waist. Tahiri pulled close to him and they walked like that for another few steps. Han had already begun placing the pieces together and he saw the picture. What happened next, though, left no doubt in the minds of either Han or Leia. They saw Anakin stop and bring his head down; he and Tahiri kissed a deep, passionate kiss. Then Han knew.  
  
"Oh," Han conceded. "Maybe we should go down the beach the other way."  
  
When they had gone a ways down the beach in the opposite direction Han asked, "Princess, how long have you known?"  
  
"Since dinner tonight," she answered him. When Han began laughing she asked him, "What is so funny?"  
  
"You Jedi think you are so special," he said. "You think that I don't know what is going on. Anakin is my son, I've known Anakin and Tahiri were in love for sometime now, but I didn't know how serious it was, until just now." He flashed Leia his cockiest smile and said, "You don't go in against impossible odds, risking life and limb to try and save some woman you don't love – whether it's Death Stars or Vong shaping plants."  
  
Leia was shocked that her husband had been able to figure out before her when he didn't have the Force to guide him. He might have been bluffing but she decided not to call him on it. Instead she pulled herself closer to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Then the two continued down the beach admiring the sunset.  
  
* * *  
  
"Anakin?"  
  
"Yes, Tahiri?"  
  
They had found a secluded spot on the beach about five hundred meters from the house and they decided to lie down and look at the stars. The waves were roaring but the sound and smells were hypnotic. The sound of the waves breaking and the water trickling back into the ocean had lulled them into a deep contemplation. Tahiri had been the first to break the silence.  
  
"What do you see for the future," Tahiri asked.  
  
"I haven't tried, but whenever I do it is usually unclear. The only thing I know is that you and I will always be together."  
  
"I hope so," she said uneasily.  
  
"Why, do you ask, Tahiri? Have you had a vision of the future?"  
  
"Not a vision, really, but I have a very bad feeling about this mission. I am afraid we will lose many friends."  
  
"That is a possibility," Anakin said. "This is a very risky mission and none of us may survive." He paused for a second. "But if we don't try all the Jedi could be destroyed. This is a risk we need to take."  
  
Tahiri rolled on top of Anakin, pinning him down and said, "Anakin Solo, I want you to promise me you will not take any stupid risks. I want you to promise me that if something goes wrong you will get out of there. The Jedi have enough martyrs."  
  
"I promise," he said.  
  
"I know you too well to believe that," she said. "You will do anything you have to in order to succeed and accomplish the mission, even if it means leaving me."  
  
Anakin - still pinned on the ground - looked her in the eyes and said, "I promise you, I will always be here for you." Then Anakin flipped her over and he pinned her this time. "I want you to promise you will always be here for me too," Anakin demanded.  
  
"I promise."  
  
Anakin believed her and leaned forward to kiss her. After a quick peck she pushed him off and they began to wrestle in the sand.  
  
They never mentioned the mission again that night or for the rest of the vacation. They both knew they might lose the other during the mission, but they were living in the here and now. This was no time to worry about things they couldn't control yet. They were just happy to have each other.  
  
The rest of the vacation continued in bliss for them. Jaina and Jacen kept their promise and didn't intrude and Han had stopped snooping around. Anakin and Tahiri returned to Eclipse fully rested, with all their problems ironed out, ready to tackle the mission.  
  
* * *  
  
Ten years had passed since the fateful mission. Tahiri had never been the same afterwards. She had lost the only person she had ever loved. She had returned to the planet were they had spent their last week together, so many years ago and she remembered.  
  
She was standing in the secluded spot where they had wrestled and played in the sand after they had straightened out their problems and where they had each promised they would never leave the other alone.  
  
Tahiri was much older now, she was no longer a child; she had never loved anyone since Anakin. She looked down at her feet and remembered when she used to run around everywhere barefoot. She was wearing thick boots now, she never ran around barefoot anymore. Everything pained her; everything reminded her of her lost lover. She had no family to turn to. Han and Leia had tried to comfort her but they were also grieving and whenever she saw them she thought of Anakin. It just hurt her too much to have them around.  
  
She had aimlessly roamed space for the past ten years helping to reestablish the New Republic, but she had returned to this world on the tenth anniversary of Anakin's death. She stood just out of reach of the waves breaking on the shore with the wind blowing her long hair. She pulled the strands away from her face as she looked out upon the ocean. Anger started to build in her.  
  
"You promised me, Anakin Solo," she cried. "You promised me you would never leave me."  
  
She collapsed onto her knees and put her head in her hands as she began crying.  
  
"Stand up, Tahiri," a vaguely familiar voice called out.  
  
"Whose there," she demanded. "Show yourself, this is a private beach and you are trespassing."  
  
She heard no response but felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly and saw Anakin standing beside her.  
  
"Anakin, you, you're back," Tahiri said. Hope poured from her glistening eyes. She had seen him in her dreams every night, but this was different. He was actually here and she was talking to him. Her heart had yearned for him for so long now.  
  
"No, I'm not back. This is my spirit," Anakin explained. "Tahiri, I miss you too but you need to move on, you need to raise a family and have children like you were meant to." Anakin could see the heartbreak in her eyes.  
  
"Anakin, I was meant to have your children."  
  
"Well, things have changed. You have to forget me and move on," Anakin said through barely controlled tears.  
  
"I will never forget; I will always remember you," she proclaimed. "I kept my promise to you, why couldn't you keep your promise? You just had to be a hero and save the day, didn't you? You were always a hero to me, I didn't need to see you die to know that, and neither did anyone else. We all saw how important you were. I guess you couldn't see that when you were always blaming yourself for anything that went wrong."  
  
"Tahiri, please, you know this is painful for me to say but you have to move on."  
  
"No, Jedi. I cannot move on, if I can't bring you back then I will have to join you," she said.  
  
"NO," Anakin shouted not wanting his beloved Tahiri to take her own life. "You have so much you can do, don't give it all away."  
  
"All I ever wanted was to be with you." She kicked off her boots and removed her socks; the warm sand on her bare feet reminding her of her youth. She looked up at the setting sun and closed her eyes as she soaked in the warm rays. She started walking into the ocean and never looked back. She used the Force to make her heavy as she walked into the breaking waves.  
  
Twenty meters out her head disappeared under the water and she never resurfaced. Anakin was heartbroken that she had given up so much, but he was ecstatic that she would be with him now for all eternity. Anakin's spirit slowly vanished, retreating into the Force where he could once again meet his beloved Tahiri, and where they could be together for all eternity. 


End file.
